As soon as I saw the trailer in Cobb Theatre at Countryside Mall for Zootopia and learned that the guy’s behind both Frozen and Big Hero 6 worked on it, I knew it would be awesome.

And, I was right. This movie swept the critics in a way unfortunately Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice could not. At time of writing, Zootopia’s Rotten Tomatoes’ score beats out the majority of Pixar’s films.

And if you’ve seen it then you know why it got such glowing reviews. The animation? Gorgeous. The characters? Lovely.

The message?

Oh, yes, that message. Let’s talk about the message of Zootopia. And how it is a bold choice for Disney to use. Because--besides the, um... “problematic” film, Song of the South--this is the first time I know of where they touched such a live wire of an issue.

Now, with that said, it’s not odd for Disney to focus on the “follow your dreams” and “be yourself” messages, and this is really an extension of that...but...it’s also about racism and prejudice. And that’s...a big topic.

But they just went for it.

I am flabbergasted and mega-impressed by the way they found to teach kids about the evils of racism in a relatively child-approachable and informative way.

P.R. wise, that’s incredible for their image. And since, like it or not, Disney is a teacher and a massive part of a lot of American childhoods, they have the ability to make themselves out as a pusher of social reform.

I mean, if they can talk about racism--and to a lesser extent drugs--in a way that doesn’t seem pandering, and exposes a societal issue to kids, then what’s stopping them from doing more of the same for war, famine, terrorism, wealth inequality, or religious intolerance?

What might this start? What might we see in the future from them? What might happen?

How big of a change can come from the story of an animal society?

It’s time to talk about Star Wars again--more specifically, it’s tie-in products. Which swarm over store shelves like a pack of TIE Fighters.     

Now, from the little I know of the economic process of franchise building, merchandise can do a lot for both profits and visibility, at least in regards to a few select companies including Hasbro and Disney.

And Star Wars is perhaps the greatest example of this. Who doesn’t own at least one toy lightsaber or a character in doll form? Not many Star Wars fans I know, that’s for sure. And, in fact, this article was inspired by my current reading of Chuck Wendig’s somewhat controversial novel: Star Wars: Aftermath, which I picked up at the Target in Clearwater Mall.

And the existence and prevalence of this got me thinking about brand loyalty, and how it is perhaps one of the strongest methods of marketing and advertising available. Because it creates a loop.

Allow me to explain. Say that you—as a nerdy, and awesome adult—showed your child Star Wars: The Force Awakens at Countryside Mall (which you totally should have) and afterwards they wanted a toy for it. Which you probably gave them.

And from there the child is more likely to watch the movies as they come out, and then want new products to match up with it.

This phenomenon can even be infectious—as one kid on the playground swings a lightsaber, possibly against the wishes of his teacher, and now all the kids want one. And then want to see the movie.

And on and on and on. I dare say you went through a similar cycle when you were a child and saw Star Wars: A New Hope.

It’s a brilliant tactic, even if a little concerning at times. And fascinating to observe. Especially in this case, when it relates to the revitalization of one of nerd culture’s biggest and most influential intellectual properties.
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If you liked this article, you can read more of Brandon Scott’s work over at The Hive, or on his website: www.coolerbs.com. 

In this world of chemical treatment and genetic modification of the average American’s diet, it’s refreshing to see a group of people who focus on actual food.

At least, that was part of my motivation for visiting one of Clearwater’s newer restaurants on Cleveland Street: Kara Lynn’s Kitchen. A place that seeks to serve just good food that is actually food.

And if you’ll allow me a few paragraphs, I’d like to speak about my experience visiting them.

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Upon entering the busy restaurant, my focus shifted to the waitress at the counter, who was quite chipper. I mean, all servers are, it’s part of their job, but she seemed genuinely happy to see us. And handed me and my dining companion a menu.

And what struck me about this menu was that it had things on it that sounded legitimately appetizing. It wasn’t just soy or various salads. It was things I, as a more meat leaning individual, would want to eat. So I ended up ordering a Korean beef lettuce wrap.

And when it arrived only a few minutes later it looked like something I should be paying around thirty bucks for at some fancy restaurant. But, I’ll admit, at this point I was still skeptical. I’d been burned before on food that looked better than it tasted.

But, and here comes my verdict--in the most food critic way possible--it was exquisite. I bit into it, made a pleased sound, and demolished my food.

And my companion took one bite and commented on the quality of the food as well. And was kind enough to offer a bite of salad to confirm that it was as good as the meat—which it was.  

Kara Lynn’s Kitchen’s food is my kind of food. Wholesome. Flavorful, and leaving you with a good feeling about what you ate.

And if your conversation should turn to “where should we eat?” I encourage your answer be: “Let’s go to Kara Lynn’s Kitchen”.  

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If you liked this article, you can read more of Brandon Scott’s work over at The Hive, or on his website: www.coolerbs.com. 

To quote from the movie Wolf of Wall Street: “Sell me this pen.” How do you sell it? You make someone need it.

And when coming up with products to market, it’s best to work with what we already know people need.

So, what are basic human needs? Like, mentally and physically? I’d say as a baseline: sustenance, rest, companionship - both romantic and platonic, and some feeling or concept of safety and productivity.

And where are some places you can get those in Clearwater and beyond?

Well, let’s start with the first one: sustenance. You’ve got Nature’s Food Patch on Cleveland Street, Publix, Walmart, and Tony’s Pizza, among many others. You pretty much have to shop at those sort of places because, whether you like it or not, you need to eat.

Now, as to rest. You probably have a bed and a house, so this one is mostly covered. Except sometimes you need to push away the desire for sleep. So, Starbucks.

Next up, companionship. This one’s not particularly locked down by anyone, at least platonically. But romantically: stop me when you’ve heard enough: Tinder, Match, OkCupid, Zoosk, Plenty of Fish, Geek 2 Geek, and so on and so forth.

Feeling safe and productive? We’re back to Starbucks for the latter and on to any insurance company and Bayside Urgent Care Center for the former.

And I could keep on going with this, expanding into less necessary “needs” but I think you get my point. The most successful businesses fit into, expand upon, or simplify what people need to do and have to have.

And I know all of this boils down to that old, but relevant chestnut “supply and demand.” But it is important to understand the base of the “demand” portion, so that you can better “supply.”

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If you liked this article, you can read more of Brandon Scott’s work over at The Hive, or on his website: www.coolerbs.com. 

Before I begin, a quick definition of “fair use.”

"a legal doctrine that portions of copyrighted materials may be used without permission of the copyright owner provided the use is fair and reasonable, does not substantially impair the value of the materials, and does not curtail the profits reasonably expected by the owner"

--Merriam Webster

And now, on to the article.

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Creators are going to create. It’s in the blood, the brain, the soul. But some now find themselves penalized for what they do. YouTube’s automatic copyright-infringement monitoring system is wrecking them. And people are asking: “Where’s The Fair Use?”

It’s a growing topic. And a growing hashtag (#WTFU.) An outreach of P.R. between internet creators and the audiences that love them. It’s part of a discussion of what it means nowadays to be a professional creator on the internet, and on the biggest video sharing site we have.

And this affects everyone — myself included — who enjoys YouTube, which I imagine is most of Clearwater. And, I imagine it’s most of America, considering the widespread ownership of computers in modern-day society.

Because commentary, and criticism, and parody are a legitimate form of art — enjoyed by many — with a long-standing history in print media that now finds itself attacked on YouTube.

And perhaps if all YouTube videos were a matter of hobby only, this may not be as big of a problem. But, we live in a world where artists make a living off of YouTube videos. And so we need to at least consider all the problems that restricting them poses.

Because if Fair Use becomes a non-defense, or if it’s basically ignored on YouTube, and the people doing honest, and legal videos can no longer do so without fear, then we stand to, and the creators certainly stand to, lose quite a bit.

An entire genre of videos — and many people’s livelihoods. No more reviews. No more commentary. No more “Let’s Play’s.” No more video discussion of films, television, or songs. A drastic loss of creativity on a still young form of artistic expression.

And I hate to leave this on such a bummer, but there are no set answers to the problem yet. At least not that I can see. But it is something we need to look at, and I urge you to watch one of the various videos on the subject. Because in our internet age, it’s becoming more and more important.

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If you liked this article, you can read more of Brandon Scott’s work over at The Hive, or on his website: www.coolerbs.com.